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In addition to tackling the World Hour Record some time this year, Lance Armstrong also has designs on riding the Vuelta a España. US Postal manager, Mark Gorski: "It is at best possible that he will accompany Heras, our top man for the Vuelta. The decision will be made after the Tour."
As for the Hour Record, if Armstrong does attempt it, it will be on a European track such as Bordeaux or Manchester, and not in America.
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In today's edition of L'Equipe, it was reported that the Festina team were talking to other sponsors in order to expand their squad. Festina Watches have been sponsoring a top level cycling team for the best part of a decade, and despite (or because of) what happened in 1998, they have greatly increased exposure and sales through their sponsorship of cycling.
L'Equipe reported that the now 'solo' Mercury team was one of the other teams that Miguel Rodriguez of Festina was talking to. Cyclingnews sources confirmed that Rodriguez is talking to a lot of people although nothing is firm yet. He wants to keep his level of investment the same, but wants a bigger team.
After the raid by drugs police on Wednesday night, the Giro d'Italia Femminile suffered another unfortunate moment before the start of the 11th stage on Friday when Rosalisa Lapomarda was declared unfit to start the stage.
Third overall in the general classification, 58 seconds behind leader Stahurskaia, Lapomarda returned too high a hematocrit after blood tests carried this morning between 6:30 and 9:00 by the UCI. 36 riders were tested from five different teams: Gas Sport, Alfalum Aurora, Rosa dei Venti, Edilsavino and Acca due O Lorena.
Lapomarda of the Rosa dei Venti team, is 34 years-old and comes from Cesenatico. She has a sports studies diploma and has been racing for two years after success riding Gran Fondo events. With three stages to go of the Giro d'Italia, she was the best placed Italian rider and was considered the revelation of the Giro. All the other riders tested were within the limits.
On Wednesday evening after the ninth stage in Levico Terme, 100 national drug squad officers carried out a raid on the women's hotels, very similar to the raid that took place during the men's Giro. The operation was authorised by the courts in Bologna and Florence, and a large number of products were discovered.
Former Giro and Tour de France winner, Fabiana Luperini (Edilsavino) was targeted, as well as the Edilsavino offices in Castel San Pietro, near Bologna. Police found several bottles and medical products suspected of being illegal during the searches. They have been taken to laboratories for analyses.
Lampre-Daikin's Robert Hunter and Oscar Camenzind have been approached by other teams for their signatures next season. Mapei-Quick Step has made a good offer to South African sprinter Hunter, according to Lampre director Algeri. Camenzind, who this year won Liege-Bastogne-Liege, has been approached by the Swiss Phonak team.
Algeri wants them to stay with Lampre of course, and hopes for a signature next week. Also, on the day following the Tour, manager Beppi Saronni will meet with Gilberto Simoni to discuss his contract for next season.
Lampre will stay in cycling sponsorship for at least another 2 years.
Domo-Farm Frites has signed three stagiaires (promising young riders) to ride for them later this season. The riders come from the Domo development squad: Khazakh Dimitri Muravyev, and Belgians Jurgen van Goolen and Gert Steegmans.
By John Stevenson
Welsh cycling character Maurice Levenson - invariably known as Schmoo - died on Thursday night. He had been ill for some time. As a race promoter, team manager and all-round cycling enthusiast, Schmoo made a tremendous contribution to cycling, and especially to mountain biking and the Welsh Cycling Union. He had been a member of the BCF Executive Board since last November.
I first met Schmoo in a muddy forest somewhere in the English Midlands in 1988. He was there with the team he sponsored from his Swansea bike shop, and Team Schmoo were unmistakable in fluoro pink shorts and fluoro yellow jerseys.
Schmoo was one of the people who made the British mountain biking scene in the late 80s and early 90s a massively fun place to be. He was passionate about turning people on to mountain biking, looking after his 'lads' in Team Schmoo, and putting on damn good races at venues around Swansea. And handing out jelly sweets. Disgusting things, but mountain bikers will eat anything and we loved him for it.
He was an argumentative old sod when he believed he was right - which was most of the time - but his warmth, humour and sheer love of life was utterly disarming; you felt he could charm the knobbles off your tyres and you wouldn't mind sliding round in the mud afterwards.
I last saw him at a trade show in 1998 and he was cheerfully predicting his imminent demise from cancer, if I remember rightly. It's typical of the man that he hung on doggedly for another three years and I imagine he spent the intervening time making a total pain in the arse of himself to cycling's officialdom, and getting away with it by sheer force of personality.
He was a great character and his is a great loss.
This weekend sees the 5th round of the MTB cross country, and the 4th round of the downhill World Cups being held in Durango, Colorado, USA. Durango was the site for the first ever UCI MTB World Championships in 1990, and has symbolic significance in the MTB community.
The downhill and dual slalom events will be held on Saturday, July 14, with the cross country to follow on Sunday 15th. Cyclingnews will be aiming to cover the cross country event live from 1030 local time.
One rider who will not be competing is Australian downhiller, Chris Kovarik (Intense Cycles), who was refused entry into the country from Canada, after immigration found that he had the wrong visa. Kovarik is currently second in the World Cup downhill standings.
Major Races and Events
September 7-29, 2002: Vuelta
a España (GT) - Preview, stage list
May 11-June 2, 2002: Giro
d'Italia (GT) - Preview, stage list, photos
July 6-28, 2002: Tour
de France (GT) - Full preview & official route details
December 8: Superprestige
Rd 5 (Cat. 1) - Erwin Vervecken
November 29-December 4: Six
Days of Noumea (6D) - Sassone/Neuville victorious
November 26-December 1: Six
Days of Zurich (6D) - Day
6 - McGrory/Gilmore/Schnider win
December 1: Melbourne
Cup on Wheels (IM) - Scott Moller, Keirin,
Sprint, Support
races
December 2: Cyclo-cross
World Cup #2 (CDM) - Sven Nijs again
November 24-December 3: Juegos
Deportivos Centroamericanos (JR) - Final results
December 8-9: Frankfurter
Rad-Cross (Cat. 2) - Alex Mudroch, UK
National Trophy Series #4 (Cat. 3) - Roger Hammond, Grote
Prijs Industrie Bosduin - Kalmthout (Cat. 1) - Bart Wellens, Int.
Radquer Obergösgen (Cat. 2) - Björn Rondelez, Trofeo
Mamma e Papa Guerciotti (Cat. 3) - Enrico Franzoi, Premio
Egondo (Cat 3) - David Seco, Irish
cyclo-cross championships - Robin Seymour
Results: local racing
Australia - CycleWest
Promotions Omnium Series #2, Eastern
Suburbs Summer Criterium Series, Carnegie
Caulfield Tuesday criterium, Southern
Cross Junior Track Open & Madison Cup, Manly
Warringah CC, George
Town Track Carnival, Carnegie
Caulfield CC, Randwick
Botany CC, Gold
Coast CATS CC, Caesar's
Illawarra CC, Caesar's
Illawarra (track)
Denmark - Danish
cyclo-cross Post Cup #3
Italy - Gran
Premio Città di Bassano
Luxembourg - GP
De Kopstal
New Zealand - Cyco
Criterium series
Spain - Elorrio
cyclo-cross
USA - Georgia
Cross Series Championship, Chimborazo
Grand Prix cyclo-cross, Boulder
Cross Rd 6, New
Mexico State Cyclo-x Champs, Sorrento
Cyclo-x & California State Champ's, Boulder
Cross Rd 5, Verge
New England series, Northampton
CC Cyclo-cross Championships, Chris
Cross International CycloCross
Recently on Cyclingnews
Latest Photos - Olympic
Armstrong, Boulder & California 'cross, More Pan-Am, Canberra, Boston & REI
'cross (December 13)
Cyclingnews survey -
Reader Poll 2001 - Vote for your favourite riders
Letters
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Cyclingnews Interview
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Cyclingnews Interview
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Cyclingnews Interview
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Cyclingnews
Interview - Sven Montgomery - Moving up in the world (December 6)
Cyclingnews Interview
- Rochelle Gilmore - Road scholar (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- 12 Hours of Oleta - MTB endurance race in Miami (December 6)
Tales from the Peloton
- Tony Cruz - back to his roots (December 7)
Marco Polo
Diary - Tour du Faso - Part II - Nathan Dahlberg's report (December 3)
Tech
maintenance - Wheels - how to keep them true and tight
Tech letters
- Headsets, Pegoretti, Carbon cage, gloves & tubes (December 10)
Tech news - Navigators
power-tap, Headsets, Carbon cages (December 7)
Tech- Recycling
- How to protect your chainstay for free
Tech Reviews:
Egg Beater pedals; Park
Tool belt; Shimano shoes;
Speedplay
Breaking
the Chain - Dope planning and testing - From Willy Voet's book
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